The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois presented an Award of Merit to WJE at the organization's annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards banquet on June 6, 2009. WJE received the award for structural engineering and design services for the Nichols Bridgeway and the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. The award recognizes achievement and innovation in structural engineering design. WJE Vice President and Senior Principal Gary J. Klein, PE, SE and Principal and Project Manager Arne P. Johnson, SE, PE accepted the award.

The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), located on Michigan Avenue along Chicago's lakefront, includes the original museum building constructed in the 1890s and numerous contiguous extensions. The Modern Wing, opened in 2009, is a 264,000-square-foot addition that increases the size of the Art Institute by a third, making it the second largest art museum in the United States. The Nichols Bridgeway is a 620-foot-long pedestrian bridge that spans from the third floor of the Modern Wing, over Monroe Drive, and into Millennium Park.

In 2000, AIC commissioned Italian architect Renzo Piano, renowned for his museum designs around the world to design a large addition to the existing Art Institute campus. Arup-London, which has a long-standing working relationship with Renzo Piano, provided structural engineering services. Local consultants were needed to compliment the European design team.

The AIC retained WJE to serve as structural peer reviewer and local structural engineering consultant. When a pedestrian bridge to be founded on top of an existing underground parking garage to the south of the of the Art Institute was added to the project, WJE evaluated loads on the parking structure and designed the foundation system for the new bridge. Working on behalf of the Art Institute, WJE collaborated with the European designers and other local consultants throughout the eight-year design and construction process.

About WJEWiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE), is an interdisciplinary firm of architects, structural engineers, and materials scientists that specializes in the investigation, analysis, testing, and design of repairs for historic and contemporary structures. WJE focuses on delivering practical, innovative, and technically sound solutions across all areas of construction technology. Since the firm's founding more than fifty years ago, WJE specialists have brought the collective experience gained from conducting more than seventy-five thousand investigations worldwide to every construction challenge. WJE combines state-of-the-art laboratory and testing facilities, nationwide offices, and knowledge-sharing systems to provide solutions for the built world. For more information, please visit wje.com.